Alfred Terence Hope Whitney was born on September 26, 2023, at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport to Polly Wakelin, 39, and Thomas Whitney, 38
Alfred Whitney was born exactly on his due date, in the early hours of Tuesday, September 26.
For her first labour Polly had decided to go “au naturel”. As an alternative to taking drugs she opted for the “Tens and Comb” method of childbirth, in which a Tens machine sends electrical impulses through the back and gripping a comb stimulates the skin on the palm to distract the brain from the pain of contractions. It is based on the Pain Gate Theory, which holds that the brain cannot focus on more than one sensation at the same time.
Alfred — who is variously nicknamed Alf, Alfie, Baby Alfie and Alfredo — joins a “blended family”. Tom already has two daughters, Poppy, who is five, and Phoebe, eight.
“They are so loving and caring towards him, and the perfect ages to help out,” says Polly. They like to give him baths, read him stories and include him in their games. They have also been on a baby sign language course with Polly to learn the relevant signs for feeding, bedtime and family time.
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“It’s been a great introduction to communication and the girls love learning,” says Polly. “They often ask for obscure signs I haven’t even learnt yet.”
Alfie is also welcomed by an affectionate, mischievous lurcher called Trevor. Tom and Polly are keen walkers and so Alfie has been cushioned in a sling and regularly brought along with Trevor to hikes in the nearby countryside.
“We want him to enjoy the outdoors as much as we do,” says Polly. “Every other weekend we find a different route to take him on.”
His middle name, Terence, is a nod to Polly’s late father.